Welcome to Civil Engineering

Introduction

In past years, civil engineers focused on design and construction of new facilities, such as buildings, bridges and highways, water treatment and environmental facilities, foundations and tunnels. Today's civil engineer not only has to design new facilities but must also analyze the effects of deterioration on infrastructure elements, consider system interdependencies and evaluate life-cycle impacts while also considering environmental and economic sustainability within the context of society. Civil engineers must be equipped with in-depth knowledge of traditional, fundamental principals and new technologies in order to address the complex, interdisciplinary problems faced within society. The undergraduate program at CUA gives the students the necessary background to success within this new context and to become the future leaders of the profession.

The Catholic University of America is student-oriented and multi-faceted research University. The Department of Civil Engineering is a select group of students and faculty who are dedicated to work together to build a sustainable future through the development of our civil infrastructure and the betterment of our global environment. We have a faculty who are dedicated to excellence in undergraduate teaching and are at the forefront of engineering research. Being in the Nation's capital, we have, also in our faculty, a group of world-class professional experts in engineering, law, business, who bring practice into the classroom.

Mission of the Civil Engineering Program

The mission of the Department of Civil Engineering is to provide a balanced education to students, strong in scientific, engineering, humanistic, and social bases, so that they may attain a leadership role in their profession and "use their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare and the environment" (Code of Ethics, America Society of Civil Engineers).

Disciplines and Degree Programs:

The major disciplines in civil engineering are: structures, water resources, transportation, construction management, materials, geotechnics, and environmental engineering. The Department of Civil Engineering offers graduate and undergraduate programs leading to the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.), and Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (B.S.E.) with broad coverage of these areas of study. Discover the CUA Advantage or Contact Us for Additional Information.

New Faculty

Dr. Bismark Agbelie joined the Civil Engineering Department as an assistant professor in August 2016. His research interests include transportation system analysis, asset management, safety, economics and finance, and policy analysis. More ...

New Research Grants

Professor Gunnar Lucko has received a new research grant titled "Drawing on Concepts in Finance for Construction Schedule Performance Measurement" by the National Science Foundation to investigate how disparate construction projects can be compared in a manner inspired by the performance measurement of stocks in financial markets. More...

Professor Lu Sun has received a new research grant titled "Traffic Information Collection, Analysis and Dissemination for Transportation Systems Management Operations" by the American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

Dr. Gunnar Lucko receives the prestigious Haplin award. The award is given to Dr Lucko for his "extraordinary creativity and innovation in introducing singularity functions into construction management scholarship and developing novel modeling and analytical procedures for integrated project scheduling and budgeting"